WordGarden.iouniform
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /jˈuːnɪfˌɔːm/
US
- /ˈjunəˌfɔrm/
Meanings
Adjective
the same throughout; not varying much from part to part or case to case
constant or evenly distributed across space, time, or cases in technical scientific or mathematical use
Noun
a distinctive set of clothes worn by members of the same school, team, or organization
Beyond the definition
Think of a school hallway—lots of students, all dressed in uniforms. That's the most common image! But "uniform" isn't just about clothing. It describes anything that is consistently the same throughout, whether it's appearance, quality, or behavior. A perfectly smooth surface has a uniform texture, and a steady heartbeat maintains a uniform rhythm.
The word comes from the concept of having "one form," meaning everything follows the same pattern. You might say a team operates with "uniform efficiency," meaning every member is performing at the same high level. It can also describe something being "uniformly distributed," such as color spread evenly across a canvas or a predictable, uniform response to a stimulus.
The word "uniform" describes something that maintains consistency in appearance, quality, or behavior throughout its entirety. While we often associate it with specific clothing worn by members of an organization—such as school, military, or work uniforms—its meaning extends far beyond the world of fashion.
In a physical sense, "uniform" refers to sameness in characteristics: "The sand on the beach had a remarkably uniform grain." It can also describe consistency in action or standards: "The factory produced goods with uniform standards of excellence." Think about a perfectly baked batch of cookies; ideally, they would all be uniform in size, shape, and color.
In mathematics and science, "uniform" describes something evenly distributed or constant. For instance, a "uniform distribution" means every value has an equal chance of occurring, while in physics, "uniform motion" refers to movement at a constant speed in a straight line.
The root of the word comes from the Latin unus (one) and forma (form or shape). This highlights the core idea behind uniformity: a lack of variation, a consistent pattern, or a shared standard. Whether it involves clothing, quality control, scientific principles, or predictable behavior, if things are consistently the same, they are uniform.
Examples
- 1
School clothing
The children have to wear a uniform at school.
- 2
Wearing uniform
I didn't recognize Mia at first because she was in uniform.
- Phrasein uniform
wearing the special clothes for your job or school
- 3
Work clothing
He folded his work uniform and put it in the laundry basket.
- 4
Regional prices
Prices are not uniform across the country.
- Patternuniform across + places
the same in different places
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Document spacing
Try to keep the spacing between the lines uniform.
- 6
Size matching
The boxes need to be uniform in size.
- Patternuniform in size
all the same size
- 7
Visual style
The houses on that street look neat but a little too uniform.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- uniform standards
- uniform thickness
- uniform distribution
- uniform appearance
Word family
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Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- uniformnounverbadjective
Forms
- uniformspluralnounverbadjective
- uniformedpast tenseverbnounadjective
- uniforming-ing formverbnounadjective